Csw response newsletter jan v2

JANUARY-APRIL 2017

Response Your insight into religious freedom

Behnam

Irani is

free For years you’ve been praying for Pastor Behnam Irani, an Iranian church leader in prison. He was freed in October, having served an unjust six-year sentence.

Your support has helped us to see this wonderful day!

Continued on page

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www.csw.org.uk

/Cswuk

@csw_UK

Country in focus:

IRAN

January 2011 Pastor Behnam imprisoned

May 2011 Receives death threats from other prisoners.

July 2012 Health declines sharply after being denied access to adequate medical treatment.

September 2013 Family requests his release as a prisoner of conscience.

Judge rules he will be released only if he returns to Islam.

March 2014 CSW raises his case in our submission to the UN’s regular review of human rights in Iran

July 2014 Held in solitary confinement for weeks after being charged with communicating with the media.

February 2015 CSW raises his case in a statement to the UN Human Rights Council,

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‘He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners…’ Luke 4:18 On 17 October 2016, Pastor Behnam saw freedom for the first time in six years.

The Iranian church leader was imprisoned in 2011 on a six-year sentence, charged with ‘action against the state’ and ‘action against the order’. These unjust charges were used by the authorities to cover up the fact that he was imprisoned because of his Christian faith – a tactic we regularly see in Iran. So although his imprisonment should never have happened in the first place, we are thankful that today he is free.

Friends believed he would die Although a political prisoner, he was held with criminals in one of Iran’s most notorious prisons. He suffered frequent beatings at the hands of prison guards and fellow inmates, and regularly received death threats. His walking was impaired; he developed acute stomach ulcers and damaged vision, and experienced severe bleeding – so serious that he lost consciousness.

Despite this, the prison authorities denied him adequate medical treatment. Friends of Behnam said in 2012 that they feared he would not live to serve the whole of his sentence.

Hundreds of CSW supporters around the world prayed fervently for his health and his release from prison, and sent him cards of support. Today we are thanking God for his incredible faithfulness in bringing him through this ordeal!

Inspirational faith Pastor Behnam is married to Kristina, an Armenian Christian. The couple have a daughter, Rebecca, and a son, Adriel. Pastor Behnam became a Christian in 1992 and has been a church leader since 2002.

His faith has been an inspiration. In 2012 he wrote a letter from prison, saying that although his cellmates thought about nothing but crime, making him wonder “Do they really deserve prayers?,” he immediately remembered that Jesus

17 October 2016

On The FRONTLINES

Released!

“I will keep working Quinny* is a human rights activist from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. She was jailed for meeting Hoa Hao Buddhists who were being attacked for their faith. She hopes that sharing her story will inspire young people to stand up for justice.

When I was 17, I started questioning the history of Vietnam.

I saw there were things that the government wasn’t telling people, so I went online to search for the truth.

A couple of years later, after doing this research, I printed some fliers about democracy and social issues.

For the next two years my family was harassed. The police said I had to stop my activities or I could face 20 years in prison!

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The inside track:

was sacrificed for their sins too. He ended his letter saying: “Don’t let the seas of unkindness intimidate you. You can be the ocean of love if Jesus dwells in you.”

Across Iran, religious minorities are increasingly experiencing discrimination, harassment and imprisonment because of their faith. Converts to Christianity face particular pressure. In October 2016 three converts were sentenced to 80 lashes each for drinking wine during a communion service. Pastor Behnam himself was found guilty of apostasy (leaving a religion – in this case, Islam); the judge stated that apostates “can be killed” and there was speculation that his harsh prison conditions and constant delays in medical treatment were designed to kill him slowly.

“Don’t let the seas of unkindness intimidate you” Behnam Irani

Yet Pastor Behnam’s release shows us that when we cry out to God, not giving up even when the situation looks difficult, we’ll see freedom and justice in the world!

Read the full story of Behnam’s case online www.csw.org.uk/iran-behnamirani

Ben Jackson We’re thrilled to have a group of new interns starting at CSW this year! We sat down with Ben Jackson to find out what life as a CSW intern is like.

Hi Ben! How did you come to CSW? It probably started with a trip I took to Sierra Leone in 2011, which sparked my interest in international relations. While I was teaching English in Poland, I came across an advert for the CSW internship online. Being offered the role was a very welcome surprise!

What does a typical day involve?

Most days I will start with monitoring the news in various countries, especially the Central African Republic (CAR).

After morning prayers I work on reports, small briefings, transcribing interviews, and other tasks. The variety has been great! I would also add that biscuits are a typical part of the day, as there never seems to be a shortage of them in the office…

What’s been your most memorable moment so far?

I would say that happened in my first week, when I was given an interview with a prominent church leader in CAR to transcribe. Just hearing about the violence and the hardships people in the CAR were facing, directly from someone who is living through it, really brought home how important the work we do really is.

despite the risks” In 2014 I started to be openly active as a human rights defender, although I knew the dangers. But I wanted to advocate for human rights, including the right to religious freedom.

I was arrested that year while visiting Hoa Hao Buddhists. I am an atheist myself, but I wanted to hear about their situation.

My trial took place in August 2014. My lawyer wasn’t allowed to meet me to prepare, and my mother testified against me in a statement.

She had been pressured by the government: they told her that if she testified, I would be released. Sadly this was not true.

I was imprisoned for two years for ‘causing public disorder’, and spent four months in solitary confinement. I went on hunger strike twice.

I was finally released in February 2016.

It’s risky, but I won’t stop speaking up for human rights, including freedom of religion or belief for everyone. *Name changed for security reasons.

Read more about Vietnam at www.csw.org.uk/our_work_ country_vietnam.htm

The government of Vietnam often attacks and detains Hoa Hao Buddhists who want to worship peacefully outside the official Hoa Hao organisation.

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Exclusive:

A window on Nepal

In the last issue of Response we told you the highlights from our recent visit to Nepal: meeting activists and others who are already being affected by Nepal’s new, restrictive laws on religious freedom.

Now, go even deeper into the story with exclusive photos from our visit!

Discussion during a training session held by CSW. These sessions equipped activists and journalists to document human rights abuses and bring them to the attention of the government.

All photos: Giulio Paletta

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Women laugh in a market in Kathmandu.

We met Pastor Tanka, a human rights defender who worked with eight Christians who were on trial for giving out comic books about the life of Jesus. They were acquitted in December 2016.

Prayer during a service in Pastor Tanka’s church.

As well as his human rights work, Pastor Tanka leads this lively congregation every week.

In recent years Christianity has come under serious pressure: for example, Christmas is no longer recognised as a public holiday.

View our full photo story online www.csw.org.uk/2016-photos-nepal-gofurther

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Perspectives

Diversity

Defending

God-given free will We believe that as Christians, we are called to speak up for freedom of religion for all people. Yet what right do Christians have to speak up for the rights of people whose faith they don’t share?

For many years CSW has been at the forefront of championing freedom of religion for Christians.

Indeed, it is widely accepted that followers of Christianity suffer more for their faith than followers of other religions.

Nevertheless, where Christians are intimidated, discriminated against or harassed, very often followers of other faiths will also experience the same things. It is a fundamental tenet of the Christian faith that our God loves and is concerned for all his children – whether they profess Christianity or not. Indeed, God has given each human being the choice to follow him or not.

Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

Galatians 6:10

Yet we may ask, on what grounds does a Christian defend the freedom of a person of another faith? Can a Christian understand the particular language of suffering of victims of other faiths? And is it biblical or even wise for a faithbased activist to speak up for the right of an atheist, for example, to hold their position peacefully?

Mervyn Thomas Chief Executive

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No inherent contradiction As a strongly Christian organisation we have considered these questions prayerfully, and we would suggest there is no inherent contradiction in defending religious freedom for all, while believing that Jesus Christ is the only way. Promoting religious freedom for all in no way entails an endorsement of other faiths or beliefs.

The concept of religious freedom for all demands conversation and genuine respect for the values of other faiths and beliefs, but it is neither multi-faith nor interfaith. It relies on a universal principle of reciprocal respect. It does not require us to support extremism, hate speech or intolerance in any form.

The practical argument It is also supremely practical. There will be two outcomes to a Christian defending a Baha’i in Iran, or a Muslim in Sri Lanka: Firstly, it gives us credibility when we defend Christians in Nigeria.

Secondly, the defence of non-Christians helps to create a society where all faiths, including the Christian faith, are respected.

This brings us back to the fundamental belief that God himself gives us freedom to follow him or not. As Christians, therefore we work to defend everyone’s freedom to follow their own faith or beliefs as they choose. Christian activists who recognise this principle of free will, find the call to religious freedom for all utterly compelling.

Feature

Why do trial hearings often get postponed?

Because many of the people we work with are imprisoned for their beliefs, a lot of our work involves legal Christians on trials. Legal trial, Nepal processes vary hugely from country to country, but sometimes the hearings in these trials are repeatedly postponed. Here we look at a few reasons why this might happen.

Sometimes there’s a simple progression from arrest to trial, verdict and sentencing – such as for Alex Aan, an atheist who was jailed in Indonesia for peacefully expressing his beliefs online. He served his two-year jail sentence (during which CSW staff visited him) and was then Asia Bibi, released.

Pakistan However, it’s not always that straightforward.

Trials often get delayed or postponed for months or even years. In the case of Asia Bibi, a Christian woman sentenced to death for blasphemy in Pakistan, her case was registered in 2009 but the verdict was delivered in 2010: at the time of writing, she is still waiting for a judge to hear her final appeal.

We should not underestimate the debilitating effect this waiting can have on the accused and their family. It is also frustrating for everyone else involved, including organisations who are trying to help the accused, and people who are following the trial and praying for those concerned.

Delaying tactic When a trial is delayed, it makes it harder to sustain international attention on an unjust situation. The news cycle is short, and, unfortunately, people lose interest. This is why it’s especially important to keep praying and campaigning for cases long-term, and show that we won’t lose interest no matter how long the outcome is delayed.

Keeps people in detention It may sound obvious, but when a hearing is postponed, the people standing trial are kept in prison even longer. This tactic has a couple of advantages, as not only are the defendants kept out of the public eye, but it also appeases their accusers.

Judges are intimidated Being the judge on a controversial case can open someone up to a lot of harassment and intimidation. Giving an unpopular verdict could put a judge or their family in serious danger. By contrast, giving the verdict that the government or majority wants could set a dangerous legal precedent. If a judge refuses to attend a hearing or passes on delivering a verdict it stops them from having to make that difficult choice.

Verdicts lead to action Delivering a verdict could give the international community or people in the country something to campaign against. So delaying a trial hearing can make it harder for any opposition to organise because they don’t know what they’re up against.

It creates uncertainty Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, sometimes it’s hard to tell why exactly a hearing has been postponed. It could be a combination of the above reasons or something unique to the particular situation. And when it’s difficult to determine what is happening, this creates a terrible sense of uncertainty for the people on trial and their families.

Whatever the reason for a trial being postponed, we’ll always do our best to inform you of as much as we can. Please keep praying for all those who find themselves in such difficult and frustrating situations: your faithful prayers mean so much when their future is so uncertain.

For the full story, read our article online at www.csw.org.uk/article-hearings-delayed 7

2017

SAT 22 APRIL 2017 12PM – 4PM St Paul's Church, Hammersmith, Queen Caroline Street, London, W6 9PJ

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Christian Solidarity Worldwide is an organisation working for religious freedom through advocacy and human rights, in the pursuit of justice.

PO Box 99, New Malden, Surrey, KT3 3YF, United Kingdom T: +44 (0)845 456 5464 F: +44 (0)20 8942 8821 E: admin@csw.org.uk www.csw.org.uk /cswuk @csw_uk Registered Charity No. 281836